The present invention relates to a particulate matter detection device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a particulate matter detection device that has a reduced size, shows only a small measurement error, and can be produced inexpensively.
A flue exhaust gas or a diesel engine exhaust gas contains particulate matter (PM) such as soot or the like and has been a cause for air pollution. A filter (diesel particulate filter: DPF) made of a ceramic or the like has been widely used to remove a particulate matter. The ceramic DPF can be used for a long period of time, but may suffer defects such as cracks or erosion due to thermal deterioration or the like, so that a small amount of particulate matter may leak from the DPF. It is very important to immediately detect such occurrence of the defects and to recognize the abnormality of a device from the viewpoint of preventing air pollution.
Such defects may be detected by providing a particulate matter detection device on the downstream side of the DPF (e.g., JP-A-60-123761).